MDMA is rather unpleasent to snort (the prefered method of taking powdered drugs) or gum-rub.

Low doages are more important for MDMA than for amphetamine and cocaine (two drugs that are often taken as powder), as it is active at lower levels, and the side effects of large doses are unpleasant.

However, some people consider taking MDMA to be a much more enjoyable experience when it is snorted as a powder, and to them MDMA powder is something of a holy grail. It is presumably called gold dust because of its rarity and desirability